Ymir

Template:Infobox godsYmir was the original Jötunn, the first being that came into existence in the Nine Realms and the progenitor of all living beings.

Norse Mythology

Aurgelmir, also called Ymir, was the first sentient being to come into existence; birthed from the drops of water that formed when the ice of Niflheim met the heat of Muspelheim within the great void, Ginnungagap. Aurgelmir was the father of all the giants; a male and a female grew under his arms, and his legs produced a six-headed son.

In the God of War Series

Before God of War (2018)

In the beginning there was nothing, merely the great void known as Ginnungagap, along with the ancient elements of fire and ice. Fire and Ice would come together to form the life blood of Ymir and Auðumbla, the first Giants. Every God, Giant, Man, and Beast would be born from Ymir’s flesh.

The Aesir, however, thought themselves superior and sought to rule over the other creation. To this end, Odin and his brothers fought their creator and Odin spilled Ymir's life blood with his spear. From Ymir's torn flesh, Odin fashioned the realm of Midgard for his own.

Ymir's direct descendants, the Jötnar, were all drowned by the flood of his blood except for Bergelmir and his wife, who went on to find the realm of Jötunheim and repopulate his race, thus thwarting Odin's plan of eliminating the Giants for good.

Powers and Abilities

As the first being in existence, creator of almost all in the Norse World and the oldest and therefore most powerful of the Frost Giants, even stronger than Starkaör and it's brother the Fire Giant Surtr (one of the most powerful beings in the Norse Realm) and was powerful enough that Odin and his brothers, the most powerful Aesir of the time, had to work together to ultimately overpower and kill it and even that was most certainly not without a difficult fight and it may have been defeated due to being emotionally conflicted on fighting its sons.

• Immortality: Having lived for several ages, considering how it was the oldest being in existence and managed to live long enough for it's great grandsons to be born, Ymir was immortal. Only the combined might of Odin and his brothers, the most powerful Aesir Gods of the time, was enough to truly end him.
• Superhuman Strength: As the first and most powerful of the Frost Giants, therefore the strongest, Ymir must have had incalculable levels of superhuman strength, enough to surpass even the most powerful of the Aesir, as it was able to fight against Odin, Vili, and Ve the most powerful Aesir of the time, before being killed.
• Superhuman Durability: Ymir must have been tremendously durable, as it took Odin and his brothers, the most powerful of the generation of Aesir of the time, to kill it and even that was apparently not without a fight.
• Cryokinesis: As the first Frost Giant, Ymir must have had great power over the element of ice, which was what apparently it's Jotnar children inherited from him.

Shrine Story

Atreus: "I have a question. If Ymir was the First Giant, where did he come from?"

Mimir: "In the beginning, there was Ginnungagap, the great void. There were no realms yet, only primordial forces. There was Fire, and there was Ice, and there in the Void, they met, and produced..."

Atreus: "Water?"

Mimir: "More than water – the mystic life blood of something entirely new. From this water, Ymir took form, and became a being of pure creation and chaos, mother and father to all that came after."

Atreus: "Even the Aesir?"

Mimir: "Aye, every God, man, and beast came first from Ymir's flesh. Though it was the Aesir who thought themselves so superior that they should hold dominion over the rest of creation. It was Odin who took arms against his creator and spilled Ymir's life-blood with his spear. A necessary evil, he would say, to bring Order to the realms. From Ymir's torn flesh, Odin would fashion the realm of Midgard for his own. Called himself "Allfather" – as if he was the creator, and not the creator's destroyer. A small... covetous... tyrant!"

Atreus: "Mimir...?"

Mimir: "Mm? Oh, sorry, m'boy. You know, I think it best we just leave it there actually."

Trivia

• It's Greek equivalents (In term as being a primordial being whose body forged the world and the progenitor of many later deities) are the Protogenoi particularly Ouranos.
• Atreus’s notes also state that the wind, trees, and sun came from Ymir’s flesh, as well as maggots that would become dwarves.
  • This contradict Mimir's tale where he said that the sun comes from Surtr.
• A marker also mentioned that Odin created the first man and first woman, Ask and Embla while Mimir said that everything comes from Ymir's flesh. According to the real-life mythology, Vili, Vé and Odin are walking along a beach and found two trees there. They took the wood and from it created Ask and Embla.
  • This is not contradicted at all to Mimir's tale, as the trees may have originated from Ymir.

Gallery

Ymir slain by Odin